City council will talk Memorial Cup support on Tuesday
By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on August 31, 2024.
City council will discuss potential financial support for the Medicine Hat Tigers’ 2026 Memorial Cup bid at Tuesday’s council meeting. Council will discuss a potential $1.25 million in cash and $655,000 through “in kind” contributions to support the hosting bid, if successful. According to the city council agenda for Tuesday’s meeting, both the Tigers and Lethbridge Hurricanes are seeking provincial financial support of $1.5 million. The “in kind” contributions would go toward paying for the 10 tournament games, covering security, staffing, operating costs, free transit shuttles, etc. The Tigers are one of five WHL teams who have submitted an intent to bid on the 2026 tournament, with the Kelowna Rockets, Hurricanes, Brandon Wheat Kings and Spokane Chiefs. Final bids are due to CHL on Sept. 20, with the winning bid announced in late November. Two municipalities have published contributions to their team’s bids; Lethbridge has pledged $1.25 million in cash and $250,000 in “in kind” contributions. The City of Kelowna has offered $3.75 million for upgrades to the arena and $350,000 in cash and “in kind” contributions. In 2023, the Kamloops Blazers hosted the CHL’s tournament and the economic boost for the City of Kamloops was reported to be $16.2 million. 7-6
Kamloops reported $16.2 million benefit from hosting the 2023 Memorial Cup?!? I hope the reporters at the Medicine Hat News don’t just accept that number. I’d like to see a bit more ‘reporting’ especially if council agrees to throw $1.25 million down this particular hole.
I am serious about the need for reporting. That number just doesn’t make sense to me? There are only 3127 hotel rooms in Kamloops. If every room had three guests stay for five nights, that would mean each guest would have to spend on average $345 each day to result in $16.2M revenues.
Unless that $16.2M isn’t revenues … which it surely isn’t. So where did that number come from?
Originally Kamloops was estimating a $12 to $15M benefit. So why did it go so well and how does Medicine Hat do an even better job?
seriously, this story needs some in depth reportage.